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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601208">sweet tooth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyteeth/pseuds/honeyteeth'>honeyteeth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lupin III</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Romance, Summer, Teasing, Tension, The Pocky Game, hehe this was a real fun one, love cheesy prompts so bad waaa, neither the teasing nor tension is nsfw!! its abt the yearning.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:01:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,302</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601208</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyteeth/pseuds/honeyteeth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zenigata, back in Cagliostro, and excruciatingly close to discovering where exactly Lupin hid some sort of dazzling treasure that he swiped right out from under the nose of some poor, random citizen, is faced with a challenge. It's not a challenge he'd expect and not a challenge he would normally accept, but this is Lupin, and he, of course, is willing to do absolutely anything in order to get his hands on the smarmy little bastard. </p><p>((HI this adorable idea is from @/zenitotts on twitter, pls go check em out and give em some love, their entire twitter is full of absolute bangers gonna be so honest))<br/>https://twitter.com/zenitotts/status/1326559789112053762</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arsène Lupin III/Zenigata Kouichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>sweet tooth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>james is so cool and epic for letting me write this, they rly have the biggest brain in the world,,, i loved writing this so much it was tons and tons of fun, im such a sucker for this kind of soft stuff &lt;33</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Cicadas buzzed lazily as the heat of a summer afternoon visibly made the air much heavier and much thicker, combining with the lapping of the waves against the shore to put all of Cagliostro in a rather sleepy, rather stupid trance. People in sundresses and tee shirts and shorts and sandals and bare feet roamed the golden streets, buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, pants cuffed to their calves as the warmth enveloped them, promising a cozy night as bar owners began to prepare the string lights on the porch for when evening finally struck. For now, though, the sun was still sitting </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>high enough on the horizon that the world was illuminated, shadows long and stretched out across brick walls and cobblestone paths, footsteps sleepy and simple, as conversation sat at a dull hum, lips plump and sweet from the humidity, eyes half-lidded, lashes thick with sleep. Truly, late August was one of the most romantic of times to vacation in the small, isolated country of Cagliostro, the infamous castle looming a good distance away from the actual town, finally owned and operated by people who weren’t corrupt, power-hungry freaks who fabricated a vast majority of human history. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anybody would be content to lie on the grassy field just before the beach began, picnic blanket spread out before them, maybe some cheese and wine accompanying their afternoon on a deliciously lazy day like this. Anybody except, of course, Inspector Zenigata, who wanted nothing more than to participate in those exact quiet summer activities but, due to his profession, was unable to. One of these days, he had promised himself when he first passed the border into Cagliostro, he would visit the beautiful rolling hills and wonderful restaurants and ancient ruins on his own time rather than being lured there by Lupin who was up to some kind of no-good heist that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>had to try and stop before the commissioner finally grew fed up with years and years worth of failure and just fired the guy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had first gotten the call while he was taking a bath, pressing a wet paper towel to his left nostril which was still bleeding profusely from when he had eaten pavement chasing and successfully catching a fairly harmless thief, one who had made off with the contents of some unfortunate convenience store’s cash register. He listened with a slowly twisting gut to the ringing of his old white telephone, which hung half-broken on his kitchen wall, but eventually figured that it couldn’t possibly be anything too important. However, when it rang a second and then </span>
  <em>
    <span>third </span>
  </em>
  <span>time, he was forced to stuff the paper towel up his nose to hold it in place and wrap a towel around his middle, reluctantly draining the bathtub and tiptoeing across his hardwood floors, which damn near made him slip and make his nose bleed all over again. The water clinging to his skin made him shiver all over, goosebumps rising from his arms and legs, but that didn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>compare </span>
  </em>
  <span>to the rush of ice he felt wash over him when he heard the commissioner’s voice on the other end of the line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>First and foremost, before the actual meat of the message was delivered to him, he got a nice, thick earful of how irresponsible it was to not answer his phone. How it could’ve been an emergency, how somebody Zenigata knew could’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but </span>
  <em>
    <span>no, </span>
  </em>
  <span>inspector, you’re too busy taking a nice little bubble bath and kicking up your feet to pay attention to anything around you aren’t you? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire time, Zenigata just had to stand there, still dripping wet and growing uncomfortably colder and colder as, dully, he bonked his head against the kitchen wall, praying that maybe, if he did it enough, he would fall into a concussion and escape the embarrassing, degrading, pissed off words spilling from the commissioner’s thin lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>During the entire fifteen-minute rant, the only words he managed to get out were “yes, sir,” “sorry, sir,” and “alright, sir,” which the irate man didn’t seem to notice whatsoever as he blabbered on and on through the receiver of the telephone, making sure that the inspector knew how thin the ice he was on had become and how this was the last straw (he had said that last week, though, so obviously, it was not), and how if Zenigata didn’t pick up the pace then he would be left in the dust with severance and a box of his three or four belongings. At long last, though, just when Zenigata thought that the lecture wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to end, he heard his boss stop, take a deep intake of breath, and then exhale very slowly through his nose, which usually meant he was finished talking. Prepared to hang up the phone, having forgotten whether or not there was a real reason the commissioner called him, Zenigata began to move the receiver away from his ear and was about to click it to the dock when he heard the name “Lupin” and felt his body go into a state of shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t heard from or about Lupin in quite a while, at least not since the whole crowned jewel fiasco that ended up with Zenigata in the hospital with a broken leg and two fractured ribs and Lupin on whatever sunny beach he had sent that annoying postcard from (it was the Praía do Sancho, Zenigata had the postcard hung up on his refrigerator, but he wasn’t about to tell anybody </span>
  <em>
    <span>that). </span>
  </em>
  <span>The past two and a half months had been so unbelievably boring, so terribly uneventful that the inspector considered just searching for the thief his damned self despite his boss’ orders to never do that… ever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who could blame him though? Ever since summer began, there had only been uninteresting reports of small-fry thieves that Zenigata could catch in four days at </span>
  <em>
    <span>most, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and when August rolled around, there seemed to be a rather significant drop in crime as the summer heat finally got too thick and began to weigh everybody down. He was bored and he was sleepy and he felt heavy all the time due to the sun constantly filtering into his room through his curtains, which he liked to keep open </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>barely so that he might catch a glimpse of the sky from time to time while working. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, on that fateful day, the commissioner had said that Lupin was </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>spotted somewhere in Cagliostro, reported by a local who said that they had seen a man suspiciously close to the thief’s description poking around the castle, though he was nearly impossible to spot afterward. It seemed to Zenigata that whatever he was doing, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>big </span>
  </em>
  <span>and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>secret and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>important, </span>
  </em>
  <span>for he seemed to be doing such an incredible job at hiding away that, unless he actually wanted to be spotted, he was nothing more than a new rumor for the tiny amount of citizens at Cagliostro to talk about over drinks. Such a way of hiding and appearing only when he wanted or needed to seemed like a very Lupin thing to do, and Zenigata needed no further explanation as to who he may be dealing with, for he already knew that it was the thief he had been chasing after for so very long now. He knew the man’s behavior’s down to a T, which was something he confidently explained to the commissioner who couldn’t exactly argue against that as it was the truth, and it seemed that nobody knew Lupin quite as well as Zenigata. He was very quickly told his assignment, where he would stay, and what was generally expected of him, which was something he had heard a million times before and would hear a million times again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite himself, he was all too elated to finally get up and leave his stuffy little apartment, excited to finally be after Lupin, for the game of cat and mouse had been growing more and more fun over the years though neither of them really knew how or why. In the following days before his departure, all of his co-workers were able to tell that his mood had shifted, could see the bounce in his step, the sparkle in his eye, the way his mouth curved into a grin at every greeting, joke, and statement sent his way. He, of course, vehemently denied such silly feelings, trying desperately to convince everybody that he was merely trying to keep a positive attitude, but even he couldn’t deny the giddiness as the day to leave approached. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He booked a relatively cheap flight to whatever airport was closest to Cagliostro, as there weren’t any actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>in </span>
  </em>
  <span>the country itself, and then set off, finding that he was unable to get a wink of sleep all fifteen hours of the flight. He was too anxious to do anything other than fidget around with his clothes and seatbelt and--well, anything really-- and imagine made-up scenarios where finally, at long last, he managed to bag the criminal and lock him away for good. Or at least until justice had been served. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At long last, he arrived at a desolate little airport with a minuscule town next to it that seemed to be more of a glorified rest-stop than anything else. It contained a cheaper-than-dirt motel and three fast-food drive-throughs that made up the entire place. Which was more than enough for Zenigata, and he booked the first room he could find, crashed onto the rickety, uncomfortable bed for nineteen hours straight, and then paid an ungodly amount of money for a tiny, beat-up little rental car that puttered and blew dark smoke out the back of its exhaust pipe the entire six-hour drive to Cagliostro, which was extended to eight and a half hours because of the number of times he had to stop the car and lay down outside for he was beginning to feel dizzy sitting in the exhaust fumes of the car. Should he have gotten his money back for something so potentially dangerous? Sure. But also, he didn’t want to seem rude, and there were more pressing matters at hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cagliostro had been just as beautiful as ever when Zenigata came teetering into the city limits, taking in the enormous, ancient buildings and the streetlamps that looked just moments away from falling apart. He had rolled down his windows to hopefully reduce his risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and had been greeted by the scent of sea brine and lavender as he cruised down the cobblestone streets, people walking in a romantic, dizzy haze on the sidewalks, drunk with the summertime blues and the stars winking softly in their own eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost immediately, he found that he had to take off his trench coat, which was soon followed by his tattered brown suit jacket and vest, and was very, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>tempted to get rid of his button-down which was now wrinkled and sticking uncomfortably to his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first twenty minutes in the city, drowning in the sights and sounds and smells of vendors and streetside swing bands and restaurants and art galleries, he felt as though he would be overwhelmed with the heat and excitement of it all, and realized that perhaps, this escapade wouldn’t be half as relieving as he thought it would, realizing that he was beginning to miss his heavily air-conditioned apartment back in Miyoshi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, the moment he stepped out of the shitty little rental and stood up fully for the first time in </span>
  <em>
    <span>hours, </span>
  </em>
  <span>stretching his arms up towards the indigo sky and taking a deep breath of salty air, a cool breeze danced across the nape of his neck and playfully carded through his hair (he had long since removed his hat) and he was instantly intoxicated with the drowsy feeling that washed over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had first felt that wonderful, warm, wet mindlessness envelop him just around a week prior, and now, he was stuck in a brainless trance, lying in his boxers and a tee-shirt on the hardwood floor, wishing that the evening would arrive just a little bit faster so that he didn’t have to deal with the hot stickiness of sunlight pouring over his body like molasses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the little writing desk next to his tiny, rickety bed, he had scattered stacks upon stacks of papers, evidence and interviews and photos that may lead to Lupin’s whereabouts, but he accomplished absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He didn’t even know what the thief was after, didn’t even know the end goal of staying in Cagliostro seemed to be. For all he knew, the thief could quite literally just be visiting Clarisse, who he had expressed a familiar sort of brotherly affection for, and had said once before to Zenigata during one of those rare, quiet moments when they worked together that he would like to see her again. Not to try anything sneaky or make some sort of move, just to pop in, say hello, maybe stay for a dinner or three if she let him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata had to admit that he himself quite liked the serenity of the countryside, having fallen for the rolling hills and cattle farms full of enormous, sweet, big-eyed Jerseys who he had often found himself stroking along their big, velveteen snouts whenever he and his men had to stop and recalculate their position the first time they had moved in to inspect the castle and provide protection. It had been one of his favorite of Lupin’s heists, from the long drive through tall, emerald grass to the time they got a cruiser stuck head-first in the mud to that cold, emotionally uncomfortable night spent in the catacombs of the castle with Lupin snoring gently against his leg. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been nice because he knew exactly what he had been doing, a clear goal right in front of his face, even if that goal </span>
  <em>
    <span>did, </span>
  </em>
  <span>in fact, change the more he learned about the goings-on when the Count was still in charge. Now, however, things were much, much more different, for he didn’t even have the slightest clue as to what Lupin was up to or even what he was supposed to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>From the floor, he crawled on his knees to the mini-fridge sitting politely in the corner, humming away just below the microwave, old and a little bit broken and filled with overpriced cans and bottles that he would just fill with water afterward to avoid paying which, yes, he knew was illegal, but come </span>
  <em>
    <span>on. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You should see the price of a can of soda. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he reached his destination, he pulled open the door, which swung awkwardly and loudly on its hinges-- it really was old, after all-- and simply sat for a moment, basking in the cool air from the mini-fridge. All of his main lights and lamps were off, as he had powered them all down in a fruitless attempt to cool himself but only succeeded in shrouding himself in darkness. Which, he supposed, was better than nothing, for now, he didn’t have enough light to catch a glimpse of his exhausted, sweat-streaked appearance or how silly it must’ve looked to simply be lying on his back, legs kicked up and over the mattress (the bed was fairly short), windows open as he simply sat limp and lifeless in his underwear, wondering if Lupin would be so kind as to just </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell </span>
  </em>
  <span>him what the hell he was planning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With clammy fingers, he reached inside and pulled out a can of seltzer water, which was boring and felt weird on his tongue, but at </span>
  <em>
    <span>least </span>
  </em>
  <span>it might help him escape the god-awful heat clinging to every inch of his skin. He wished that he could leave his hotel room, maybe take a nice stroll along the beach, feet kicking up cool water as the moon slowly rose overhead. However, as he cracked the can open, fiddling with the tab ‘til he managed to pull it off with a soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>clink</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he knew that such a luxury simply wasn’t an option. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t here on vacation, after all-- this was official business, and if he didn’t capture Lupin soon there was sure to be hell to pay. The commissioner had already called him twice today about his progress, and both times he had lied, though he knew he shouldn’t have. He had just been too irritated with the sun and the fact that he had skin clinging to his bones to bear any sort of backlash from his boss. Besides, he had lied before, and it wasn’t as though he had ever been </span>
  <em>
    <span>caught. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It didn’t really matter, did it? He would still get scolded either way because there was absolutely no way in hell he was going to capture Lupin now, at least not at the rate he was going, which was practically no rate at all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a slow sip of his seltzer water, reluctantly closing the mini-fridge door, watching the light click off from the inside bulb and crawling back to the other side of the room. His knees were bruised and red from the number of times he had simply done all of his work on the hardwood, having given up on chairs or the bed, for the humidity of his atmosphere was so unbelievably unforgiving that he could hardly breathe if he sat on anything that contained any sort of fabric at all, such as the bed or desk chair sitting behind the writing desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata reached the other end of the room, sitting beneath the open window as he leaned back against the wall, pressing as much of his body as he could to the cool surface. Outside, relatively close to his apartment, there was a bar blasting exciting jazz music, the type that seems to take control of your hips as you get lost in the swinging trumpets and crooning saxophones. He closed his eyes, lashes gently brushing the very top of his cheeks as he did so, and listened to the music, able to feel the thrum of the bass deep within his chest despite being so far away from it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the light outside grew dimmer and dimmer, the sky alight with frothy apricots and delicate pinks like a grove of fruit trees blossoming for the first time, the cicadas made way for the crickets, who started to chirp just outside Zenigata’s window, hiding on windowsills and in potted plants and the curling vines that crept up along the side of the building. The inspector took a deep breath, listening to their tiny trills, wondering rather childishly whether or not any of them knew one another. Maybe they were having a little cricket family reunion, maybe they were calling each other over to enjoy the sound of the jazz music which had risen in volume it seemed in the past three minutes. That, or, more logically, they were horny crickets, and their delicate, sweet little songs really meant “somebody come </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck this!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata took another sip of the seltzer water, giving up on trying to enjoy it and placing it beside his thigh, sighing softly and only flinching a little bit when the cold metal met his skin. God, he was tired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With mild interest, he watched as the final slivers of light slipped away from the inside of the hotel room, which had faded into complete darkness, a veil falling over everything around the inspector.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a soft, gentle sigh through his nose, absently using the tip of his finger to toy with the rim of his can of half-drunken seltzer water that wouldn’t be touched for the rest of the night, waiting for the string lights outside to inevitably click on, staring at nothing in particular as he did so. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every night for the past week, the sun would sink below the horizon only to make way for the glow of lightbulbs, warm and yellow in the darkness, that hung just a few feet above Zenigata’s window. They didn’t quite do much except dance across the surface of the bed and the desk and the walls, light dim and soft so that you weren’t quite able to get anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>done </span>
  </em>
  <span>in it, however, you were able to see your general surroundings albeit in a more faded tone. To put it simply, everything looked like a dream, surreal in a strange sort of way, and for the past several nights, Zenigata found himself staring out at those wonderful little lights as he allowed his mind to wander to places that he knew he would simply force himself to forget in the morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was just going to have to swallow his pride like some bitter pill and pack up, he thought glumly, slumped against the wall like a dead man. He hadn’t caught Lupin, and there was no way that he was going to catch him now, not when the ocean breeze kept seeping inside his brain and making him feel magnificently lethargic. Truly, it was as though he had been drugged and was unable to work or concentrate or do </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything, </span>
  </em>
  <span>really, for the fatigue in his brain simply wouldn’t allow him to complete any sort of logical task unless it was crawling into bed at the end of the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like somebody’s got those classic summertime blues, ah?” Lupin asked casually, swinging his leg languidly back on forth as he sat at the edge of the bed, fiddling with a Zippo lighter that seemed far too large for his delicate fingers. Zenigata arched an eyebrow, turning his head rather lazily to lock eyes with--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--wait, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lupin?--</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, ice washed over the now wide-awake inspector, and his eyes blew up wide and wild and his heart hammered so hard in his chest that it damn near jumped right out of his chest and onto the hardwood floor. As though some strange switch had been flipped, as though a trigger had been pulled, as though a button had been pressed, he sprang into action, lunging forward so quickly that he nearly tripped on his own legs, knocking over the can of seltzer water with his foot in the process, trying not to feel too guilty about the easily-cleanable mess when the carbonated drink fizzed away merrily in a puddle on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin, reflexes quick as ever, simply moved to the side, shifting his body in some strange, nimble way that allowed him to bend and avoid Zenigata’s attack but, at the same time, continue to sit without a care in the world on the creaking mattress, which was now squealing in protest when the inspector found himself launched halfway across it instead of pinning down his arch-nemesis as he had planned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He whipped his head around, almost accusatorily so as he made another go at Lupin, the blankets shifting beneath his clumsy knees, bunching up awkwardly and in such a way that the only thing he managed to grab was thin air as he fell forward onto his face, Lupin somehow ending up sitting next to him, hand patting the small of his back as though they were good friends playing a game of tag. The action sent heat rushing to his cheeks, and he wasn’t sure whether it was from embarrassment or anger, but he chose to ignore it nonetheless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, he simply lay there, waiting for the thief to make some sort of move, the take something or knock him out or feed him some strange, false information or anything else that Zenigata was used to. Maybe the Lupin sitting next to him, hands now to himself, was actually some sort of puppet or doll and it was just too dark to tell. Maybe he had explosives on him or some sort of strange device that would get the inspector to spill the beans on something he didn’t even know. The possibilities were endless, and yet, as Zenigata slowly began to sit up, suspicion etched into every wrinkle, freckle, and dip in his face, nothing seemed to be happening. Lupin was still as a statue, staring with quiet, patient eyes at the inspector, who was now sitting up fully, legs folded neatly beneath him, hands balled into fists and resting atop his knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cautiously, he arched an eyebrow, though he knew Lupin wouldn’t be able to see it. “The hell do you think you’re doing here?” He growled, the fairly lackluster chase coming to a close almost as soon as it began (it was far too hot and far too humid and far too late to put any actual effort into catching Lupin who, from what it seemed so far, wasn’t trying anything funny).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>think, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Inspecteur, mon cher?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The thief cooed, the last few words rolling off of his tongue like honey and bourbon, spoken so sweet and smooth that they could have been taken for actual affection rather than mockery. Even to Zenigata, the French petname was wonderfully, playfully sweet, and though he would never admit it aloud, it sent a small thrill down his spine which made goosebumps raise excitedly on the backs of his arms and neck. However, he knew that Lupin was simply taunting him, trying to get a rise out of him as he had with his sudden appearance; his sour intentions were written all over his dimly-lit face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To torment me, no doubt,” Zenigata finally managed to huff in a disdainful reply, having lost all of his previous gusto, exhaustion seeping into his muscles. He didn’t get paid enough for shit like this, he thought bitterly as he worried at his lower lip, anticipating Lupin’s answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an awkward, pregnant pause, one that lingered far too long between the pair while Zenigata readjusted himself, getting up off of his knees and instead opting to lean back on the wall the bed was pressed up against, close to the window so that he could feel the breeze, legs slowly stretching out before him. While he changed his position, fumbling with his tee-shirt and smoothing over spaces on the bed where the sheets had bunched up too much, he could feel the thief’s dark eyes burning holes into him, and he felt that rush of embarrassment once more, anxiety bubbling up in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin shifted as well, though it seemed as though he was merely trying to get closer, doing some awkward little shimmy to position himself next to Zenigata’s outstretched legs, though judging from his expression, it was less to piss the inspector off and more to confide to a familiar habit. He had certainly been known to get fairly cozy with whoever he was with, enemy or not, so when he casually rested a hand against Zenigata’s shin, the inspector didn’t mind all that much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now,” he said finally, and some of that tension that had arisen earlier had finally been loosened, and Zenigata felt as though he could breathe again. “I’m sure you’d like to know what I’m doing here,” he smiled, arching an eyebrow and looking up as though he was winning a game that wasn’t being played. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>asked you that,” Zenigata deadpanned, and he was surprised by the amount of sheer tiredness had seeped into his voice, making it as heavy as the warm ocean air, almost lazy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you?” Lupin teased, cocking his head to the side, and the willpower the inspector had not to strangle him right then and there was comparable to that of a saint. “Well, why does everything have to be about business? About our professional relationship?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There isn’t anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>but </span>
  </em>
  <span>a professional relationship here, jackass. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even call it professional-- or, for that matter, a relationship,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t we just come together as friends? Take a break from what society tells us and just hang out comfortably, and, might I add, in such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful </span>
  </em>
  <span>setting?” Lupin continued, blatantly ignoring the inspector’s irritated comment, performing some sort of grandiose, dramatically flowery gesture with his hands, fingers looking delicate and graceful in the dull light of the bulbs outside. From the bar just beside the hotel, the swing music reached a crescendo, accompanied by a joyful whoop and holler as applause rose from the patrons, laughter drifting sweetly into the romantic air. The music died down just a little bit, though it continued all the same, loud and fun and just a little bit muted due to the distance between the band and the window of Zenigata’s hotel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you just cut the crap and--” the inspector, clearly not in the mood for jokes began, but was hushed when a finger pressed gently against his lips, shutting him up rather effectively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t speak, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mon amour,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’ll ruin the moment,” Lupin sighed dreamily, having to rest against his knees as he leaned forward, arm outstretched in order to reach across and actually touch Zenigata’s face. “won’t you listen to the sound of that </span>
  <em>
    <span>music? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why, honestly, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that this was a da--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, it was Zenigata’s turn to cut the thief off, reaching up swiftly to grab hold of his wrist, tugging it closer to him, which caused Lupin to lose his balance and fall, having to use his free arm to support himself. Quickly, and rather easily, mind you, the inspector twisted Lupin’s arm-- not dangerously so, but just enough to cause a sharp, fleeting pain right in his shoulder, which made him let out a high pitched, whiny chorus of </span>
  <em>
    <span>ow, ow, ow, ow!</span>
  </em>
  <span> as he squirmed uncomfortably beneath Zenigata’s grasp. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter how much he wiggled and struggled, however, the inspector was holding him </span>
  <em>
    <span>tight, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and not willing to let go any time soon. At least not until he got a proper answer, which he was determined to fish out of the little weasel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin,” he said firmly, brow furrowing as he willed his face to harden as much as it could, trying to look more intimidating than he was as he sat half-relaxed against a wall painted creamy yellow in his underwear. “tell me what you’re doing here. What are you playing at, hm?” He spoke slow and quiet, having been told several years ago that when he did so, he tended to sound quite menacing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His game face, however, had no effect on Lupin whatsoever, who grinned as though he were the cat and Zenigata was the canary, managing to shuffle closer on the mattress so that there was less pressure on his shoulder no matter how far and how tight the inspector pulled. “Now we’re talkin’,” he grinned, and in one quick motion, far too quick for poor Zenigata to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>notice, </span>
  </em>
  <span>really, he pulled his arm away, using his newly freed hand to pat lightly at the inspector’s cheek before scooting back to his original position, once more resting his palm quite gently atop the other man’s shin, careful not to lean into him too much. “you wanna know why I’m here, yeah?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We established that a very long time ago, you dick,” Zenigata huffed, feeling his cheeks glow red with frustration as, rather childishly, he crossed his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes, hoping that his pure exasperation read in his body language. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, right. God, you’re impatient, you know that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, sorry! Geez, loosen up buttercup, we’ve got plenty of time,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like something you’d say while Jigen is hauling ass to escape the crime scene. Let me tell you now, it won’t work on me this--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jigen isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>here, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Pops, he and Goemon are off doing their own heist! And sadly, Fujiko has gone solo again,” Lupin, once more, cut the inspector off, speaking dramatically and pressing the back of his hand gently to his forehead, theatrical as ever, eyelashes fluttering for extra flare. “I’m afraid I’m working by myself on this particular caper, which I guess has its positives. One of them, of course, being the quality time I get to spend with </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he winked, and Zenigata had to physically restrain himself from lunging forward, grabbing the man’s tiny shoulders, and rattling him ‘til he finally got some solid responses. How much did that little jerk need to beat around the bush? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glared at Lupin, sinking back into the wall as a small, yellow cricket leaped onto the windowsill and began to chirp and click, a warm breeze passing through, rustling the clinging ivy that hung on the brick walls. The band outside was still playing with gusto, and the chatter from the patrons had grown just a little louder. Although the night was young, fresh from the sun sinking below the horizon, its warmth still lingering on every concrete and metal surface, the darkness had quickly made way for those who were looking to get lost. Perhaps in the rhythm, perhaps in somebody else’s eyes, and perhaps at the bottom of a bottle. They simply wanted to strand themselves; Zenigata knew that feeling well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, no need to look at me like that,” Lupin chuckled, leaning back on his hands. “I’ll tell you what I’m doing in your hotel room. To be honest, Pops, it’s because you’ve got this animal magnetism that I just can’t keep away from, and I--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lord, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you damned bastard I will not hesitate to shoot you!” Zenigata snapped, pulling back his left leg and offering the thief a nice, solid kick right in the gut, which made him wheeze and double over, shock and pain filling his eyes as he wrapped his arms protectively ‘round his middle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here I was, confessing my love for you!” He whimpered, forehead now pressed to the mattress as he groaned in pain. “Wow, you have great legs! What a kick!” He continued, though it seemed as though he was talking more to himself than anybody else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a brief moment, Zenigata felt sorry, unaware of how much force he had actually put behind his foot, and almost leaned forward to ask if he was okay, almost reached out to put a soft, comforting hand on his shoulder, though he refrained, choosing to just pass a momentarily concerned glance Lupin’s way, one that the thief obviously couldn’t see. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess I deserved that, hmm?” He asked, bringing himself back up, though his arms were still cradling his midsection. “You know, all those years of chasing me really paid off. You just winded me! Geez,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re still stalling,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who said I was stalling in the first place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you didn’t,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In my head I did,” Zenigata rolled his eyes. “now tell me what you’re doing here or I’ll toss you out of the window. You know I can,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, I know you can,” Lupin sighed, agreeing as he sunk back to his original position, that touchy hand drifting right back to Zenigata’s shin. “ok, ok, back to business, eh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Zenigata sighed, rolling his eyes, praying that the jokes were over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Outside in the bar, there was an enormous round of applause despite the band continuing to play, which probably meant that somebody had managed to do something rather impressive. Zenigata would give anything right now to be twenty-two and handsome again, living it up down there instead of withering away at forty-five, bargaining with the most annoying man in the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have… a deal of sorts for you. Are you interested?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Depends on what it is,” Zenigata replied curtly, arching his eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you know I came to Cagliostro to steal something, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, duh, right?” He snorted, before gently poking a small scar on Zenigata’s leg and continuing, tracing the length of it so delicately that the hair on the inspector’s leg rose and he could only hope that Lupin didn’t notice. “Anyway, I’ll cut the crap and just tell you that I already </span>
  <em>
    <span>have.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ve successfully taken and hidden what I came here for, and soon, Jigen and Goemon will be back from their heist and come here and we’ll get the hell back to Tokyo before anybody notices that their precious belonging is missing,” Lupin spoke in a serious tone, expression dulled from cocky and playfully to calm, honest, sober. His mouth was drawn in the small frown of his resting face, eyes no longer as mischievous as they had been mere moments ago, even his body language going from impish to genuine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why why are you telling me this? You do realize now that I have this information, I could very easily torture you into telling me where you hid… whatever it was that you took, right?” Zenigata asked, unsure of whether he should be confused or grateful for the tip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you could. But you won’t,” Lupin replied easily, and the fondness in his voice was enough to make Zenigata squirm uncomfortably. “and besides, you won’t even have to torture me or anything because I’m going to tell you right now,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re...” Zenigata frowned, attempting to get a grasp on what exactly was being told to him. “you’re going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell </span>
  </em>
  <span>me where you hid it? Just like that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Lupin nodded, but quickly put a finger up to indicate that he wasn’t finished when the inspector opened his mouth to say something once more. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>If, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that is,</span>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, there it is...” Zenigata muttered, a little disappointed but certainly not surprised at all. “If what, Lupin?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“If…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The thief said, this time a little slower as he sat up straight, digging around the inner pockets of his jacket, running his fingers gently along the fabric as he searched carefully for something that the inspector couldn’t see despite how much he leaned to the side or craned his neck or cocked his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, he managed to whip out what he had been looking for with a dramatic flourish, holding it forward for Zenigata to see. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...you manage to beat me,” he finished, smiling simply and shaking the unopened box of Pocky for emphasis, the treats rattling around inside their packaging. They were strawberry flavored, as the box said enthusiastically on the front in yellow bubble letters, little cartoon images of the fruit plastered around the cardboard in heavily saturated shades of red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Zenigata didn’t understand what was being asked of him, confusion clear in the way he furrowed his brow and frowned lightly, a curious expression overtaking his eyes. Was he supposed to… </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>something with the treats? Surely there was nothing involving Pocky that could possibly be seen as competitive, unless… unless...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin, you don’t… </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>expect me to do that, do you?” He asked, more cautious than accusatory, looking up at the thief in what could have very easily been mistaken for contempt but wasn’t, not in any way shape, or form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I certainly do. Unless, of course, you don’t want me to tell you where I hid the stolen object,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You keep saying ‘object.’ What did you even steal?” Zenigata asked, not budging from his position on the wall as he sneakily attempted to change the subject, hoping that Lupin would forget about the idea completely and praying that he didn’t catch sight of the heat in his cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a popular game to play among peers when Zenigata was still in high school to bite one end of a stick of Pocky and, while it was still in your mouth, offer it to a friend. From there, whoever you chose to challenge would have to take turns with you, biting each end of the candy ‘til you either met in the middle and kissed or one of you backed out. All in all, it was just a game of chicken, one that the poor inspector had lost several times in his youth, as he was far too bashful to ever follow through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Mmm, you’ll find out. Do you want the frosted side to start, or has your sweet tooth diminished with age?” Lupin teased, shuffling around to sit on his legs as, with an admittedly endearing sense of excitement, he began to rip into the box, peeling off the cardboard strip that kept it closed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s so vague!” Zenigata exclaimed, throwing up his hands in yet another attempt to shift the conversation. “How do I know ‘object’ isn’t code for a  </span>
  <em>
    <span>person, </span>
  </em>
  <span>eh? You didn’t try and do anything with poor Clarisse, did you? Or perhaps you’ve found somebody you’d like to hold for ransom!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Use your head, Pops. Since when have I ever been into the kidnapping game?” Lupin replied instantly, not missing a beat while he tore open the small bag the Pocky was contained in, plastic crinkling beneath the pads of his fingers as he managed to catch one of the notches in the top of the bag and peel it gently open. “But just to soothe that big bleedin’ heart of yours, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I did not kidnap anybody, nor am I holding anybody ransom. That just isn’t my style! You should know more than anybody else,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata frowned, and he knew that the thief had a very solid point. Out of all of the years he had known him, Lupin had never once done anything to intentionally hurt another human being unless it was for protection or self-preservation, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>certainly </span>
  </em>
  <span>wouldn’t lay a finger on an innocent person just to drag them into a heist to get more money out of the deal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, tell me, which end do you prefer?” Lupin asked, pulling out one of the light pink sticks, holding it gently between his thumb and forefinger as to not melt any of the frosting onto his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin,” Zenigata said sternly, still not moving from where he sat, frown growing in size as his gaze pierced the thief like a set of icepicks. “you can’t be serious,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean? It’s a perfectly fair trade, isn’t it? You beat me in a benign little game, and I reveal the location of the goodies I stole!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to do that with you, you realize that right? It’s childish!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In fact,” Lupin continued, once again ignoring the inspector entirely. “I’d say the odds are stacked in your favor. Seeing as, you know, all you have to do is swallow your pride and beat me.” He smiled placing the box down next to him on the mattress, a few of the sticks sliding out of their packaging but not quite touching the sheets. “As a matter of fact, just to make it even </span>
  <em>
    <span>easier </span>
  </em>
  <span>for you, you don’t even have to win! Just meet me in the middle and I’ll tell you everything you need to know, ‘kay?” He exclaimed with a wink, leaning a little closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heat of the air combined with the flushed warmth of Zenigata’s blushing skin made for a rather uncomfortable combination, his hands growing clammier by the minute, a bead of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon now, don’t be a baby,” Lupin urged gently, though surprisingly, there wasn’t any pressure behind his voice. It was encouraging and slightly pushy, yes, but not… demanding or anything. Zenigata felt no obligation to play the silly game, and all of his discomfort was simply rooted in the fact that after the challenge had been laid out, the inspector couldn’t seem to stop staring at Lupin’s lips, wondering how bad it could </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly </span>
  </em>
  <span>even be if they seemed so soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You realize this is unprofessional, right?” Zenigata, once more, attempted to deter his rival from the idea, gazing at him with a question hidden behind his eyes. A question of whether or not he was even being remotely serious, a question of </span>
  <em>
    <span>what the hell kind of weird prank is this, Lupin?</span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Lupin simply shrugged in reply, smiling with that same gentle warmth he had earlier. “Well of course it is, Pops. Because this isn’t a professional meeting. You’re not even fully clothed,</span> <span>y’know, how could this possibly be anything but unprofessional?” He laughed, though it wasn’t mocking or demeaning or anything of the sort. In fact, combined with the sound of the enthusiastic band outside still playing their music and the hum of the crowd as they talked and drank and drank and talked and the chirruping crickets that hid away amongst plants and underneath rocks… it was almost pleasant. In fact, the more he thought about it,  it was </span><em><span>absolutely </span></em><span>pleasant, and the flutter in Zenigata’s chest was no coincidence. </span></p><p>
  <span>“This is still a stupid idea. How do I know that you aren’t just doing this to humiliate me? Or throw me off your tracks? You’ve pulled garbage like this before, distracting me with some sort of decoy-- you’ll tell me where you hid the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fake </span>
  </em>
  <span>treasure before going behind my back and swiping the real stuff. It’s a classic tactic, one that I’ll admit you’ve fooled me once before with, but you aren’t gonna get me again,” Zenigata spoke fast and frantic, the heat of his cheeks spreading to his ears and across the bridge of his freckled nose as he grappled for any reason at all why he shouldn’t just comply. It was easy, wasn’t it? Just suck it up and play the game, and then have his job done for him. It would certainly ease some of the stress behind the commissioner, and might even land him a bit of slack so long as he didn’t tell anybody about what had happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could very easily make up some sort of elaborate story as to how he oh so heroically ensnared the slippery thief in an ingenious trap, able to return the stolen goods before Lupin escaped again but just barely. Though he would probably still get scolded for not capturing the thief once and for all, he could live with that instead of being chewed to bits for not rescuing whatever loot the thief had swiped…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have done something like that in the past, haven’t I?” Lupin asked, crashing Zenigata’s train of thought as his big dark eyes widened and his mouth shaped itself into a small “o,” index finger tapping his chin in concentration as he recalled the events that occurred just about two summers ago. Absently, he took a bite of the Pocky he held in his fingers, relaxing on his legs as he munched thoughtfully. “Did it actually work? I’m gonna be honest with you, Pops, I’m kinda embarrassed for you. A move like that is the oldest trick in the book,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lay off it, I’ve used much simpler, stupider things to trap you before,” Zenigata huffed, rolling his eyes as he watched Lupin stuff the remainder of the candy into his mouth, wiping his hands together uselessly as though they had crumbs on them-- which, of course, they did not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess. But something like </span>
  <em>
    <span>this? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Even I’ll admit it’s probably the riskiest thing I’ve ever done-- spilling my guts all in exchange for something so </span>
  <em>
    <span>simple? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Very unlike me,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really,” Zenigata replied easily, and his input made the thief’s expression shift from calm, conversational pleasantness to something like anticipation. “you do plenty of risky things just for the hell of it. You’re a thrill-seeker if I’ve ever seen one, and I’m almost surprised you haven’t pulled a stunt like this sooner,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That anticipation Zenigata had noticed earlier quickly melted into something more like affection, though the inspector quickly directed his gaze somewhere else as to avoid the sweetness in Lupin’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess you know me pretty well then,” he chuckled softly, the act of playful cockiness once more dropping to reveal the vulnerability that lay hidden beneath. However, it didn’t last long, and Lupin snapped back to his impish self, clapping his hands together once before reaching for the box of Pocky again but stopping short, not actually touching the candy. “and, since you do, then you should know that this isn’t some sort of trick to go behind your back since clearly, you’re already too prepared to fall for any of those. So, what do you say? No tricks, no lies, just a simple game that’ll probably help you keep your job if you win,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shut up about my career,” Zenigata snapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that’s a yes?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The response was immediate and loud, clearly the final word of somebody stubborn who had made up their mind completely and adamantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Well, maybe.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, there we go! That’s the spirit!” Lupin exclaimed happily, grinning from ear to ear and pulling out a stick from the box, which, once again, he plopped down rather carelessly next to his folded legs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said maybe, not yes you jackass!” The inspector sputtered, very clearly not mentally prepared to either </span>
</p>
<ol>
<li><span> be close enough to kiss Lupin or </span></li>
<li><span> actually kiss Lupin. </span></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>With a deep breath, still not looking the thief in the face, he kept talking, though every single one of his words was chosen carefully, spoken slowly and cautiously, as though he was in some sort of real danger that he could bargain himself out of. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, if I… if I win or at least meet your, uh… </span>
  <em>
    <span>criteria, </span>
  </em>
  <span>let’s say, you’ll just… you’ll just uh, you’ll tell me where you hid whatever it was that you stole?” He asked, suddenly very interested in the poor state of his cuticles and the bead of sweat running down his inner thigh, which had been partially exposed when his boxers rode up awkwardly to accommodate for his rather slouched sitting position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Swear on my life,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That isn’t worth much,” Zenigata murmured, but it seemed as though Lupin didn’t hear him. “um, will you just give up if I win?” He asked, speaking at an audible volume once more, and was replied to with a simple shake of Lupin’s head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nuh-uh. Of course not, I wouldn’t be able to call myself the best thief in the world if I gave up simply because I lost a deal,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that the entire point of deals?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but letting you stop me fully wasn’t part of the deal,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata frowned. “Then what’s the point? You’ll know how to get it much better than me, which means that it’s almost impossible for me to walk away successfully.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin frowned lightly at this, considering something for a moment or two. His eyes were very focused on the sheets, below, and the gears in his head were spinning quite obviously, clanking around in his million-miles-a-minute brain, very carefully weighing options that Zenigata didn’t quite yet know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, finally, uncharacteristically quietly, Lupin spoke up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Winner takes all, then,” he said, his lips slowly fading from concentration to a sweet, fond smile, eyes gazing so tenderly at Zenigata’s own, body language so warm and inviting, quite similar to that of a candle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was comfortable now, sure, and Zenigata was beginning to enjoy his glow quite a lot, but he knew the minute he got too close…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that’s more than fair,” the inspector finally replied, sighing, defeated despite the fact that he had almost certainly won seeing as the stakes were so high and the task was so simple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just fair enough, I’d say,” the thief winked, though Zenigata wasn’t entirely sure of what that meant. He was about to ask, opening his mouth, but couldn’t get anything out when Lupin popped the end of the Pocky into his mouth and leaned forward, resting his weight on his hands, shuffling closer to the inspector, who was backed up against the wall and could only stare with wide eyes at Lupin’s nose which was now a Pocky stick’s length away from his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment where nothing happened, Zenigata unsure of what to do or where to look or how to act, a faint smell of strawberry flavoring wafting into his senses. Outside, there was a new song being played, this one just as fun and lively, being overpowered by sudden bursts of laughter which didn’t last for too long but filled the thick, hot, ocean air with a light playfulness all the same. The cricket on the windowsill had long since fluttered off, deciding that he would look for romance elsewhere, as he was clearly not attracting anybody in the spot he had previously resided in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well?” Lupin asked after a moment, the Pocky bobbing up and down with the movements of his mouth, Zenigata’s attention snapping back to him as he tried to meet his eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah-- er, right,” he managed clumsily before taking a deep breath, leaning forward, and biting the bullet. Literally. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin’s hum of approval was followed by a soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>crunch </span>
  </em>
  <span>as he moved just a little bit closer, the inspector doing the same soon after, trying his best to concentrate on the sweetness of the candy and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>the heat radiating off of Lupin’s skin or the way his breath tickled Zenigta’s lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Crunch. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lupin moved closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Crunch. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zenigata leaned in. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Crunch. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The thief took a bigger bite, a bold move on his part, and shuffled closer to the inspector on the mattress, adjusting his position so that he sat down fully, legs delicately pushed to the side of him, leaning one arm over on the other side of Zenigata’s legs and casually letting his hand rest on his thin, bony hip. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Crunch. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zenigata pretended that his face wasn’t comparable to an active volcano, taking a much smaller bite than he had earlier, eternally grateful when Lupin closed his eyes and he finally felt like his own could stop darting around anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Pocky got smaller and smaller between them, and in no time at all, Lupin’s nose brushed up against the tip of Zenigata’s, head tilted ever so slightly so that they wouldn’t bump together even further. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His breath smelled like Gitanes and strawberry. It was so warm when it touched the inspector’s skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Abruptly, quickly, and without thinking, Zenigata pulled away, heart thrumming </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard </span>
  </em>
  <span>in his chest, ribs aching softly as his head spun at a dizzying rate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin let his lashes flutter open as he used his lips to pull the rest of the candy into his mouth, chewing contentedly and watching with obviously contained entertainment as Zenigata tried to frantically explain why he had backed out first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just-- I wasn’t expecting--” he stuttered, so very painfully aware of how Lupin was sitting, and how casual and </span>
  <em>
    <span>intimate </span>
  </em>
  <span>such a pose was and how, no matter how much he hated to admit it, he had definitely found himself sitting exactly like this with the thief in the past, though he hadn’t quite noticed since their lips weren’t mere centimeters away from meeting. “I… well, you didn’t-- you didn’t even flinch!” He exclaimed sheepishly and was met with a smile as Lupin leaned back, temporarily moving his arm from the side of Zenigata’s legs to fish out another stick, this time offering it to the inspector. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he was met with a quizzical look, he laughed. “You have plenty of chances, you know. We’ve got an entire box to go through,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I still haven’t lost?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Course not, Pops. But, you haven’t won, either. Now take it so that we can start already,” he grinned, but Zenigata didn’t feel quite as giddy as the other man. In fact, as he leaned forward to take the Pocky between his teeth, watching with bated breath while Lupin took the other side as well as the first bite, he sort of wished the first time had been it. Not because he wanted to lose the ber, per se, not because he wanted the information on where Lupin was keeping the stolen goods to go down the drain, but because… well, God, how the hell is he supposed to survive another round when his heart was pounding this ferociously in his chest? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He inched closer, taking another bite, and was almost taken aback at how quickly Lupin followed up. His eyes felt terribly blurry, overwhelmed with </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything, </span>
  </em>
  <span>really, so he closed them, deciding that if he couldn’t see Lupin coming towards him, he wouldn’t worry as much. Maybe that had been what the thief was doing in the last round, maybe that was why he was so good at this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was much faster this time around, trying to get it over with, and with his eyes squeezed shut he didn’t have to worry about the anxiety that clawed at his throat every time he saw that the thief was inching closer and closer by the second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So far so good, he thought, his stomach doing flips at what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>awaited him, but he kept going, powered by will and stubbornness and pure, raw pride. This time, he was more prepared, he knew what to expect, knew what to do, knew that all he really needed was a quick peck or for Lupin to get flustered and turn away (which wasn’t likely), and then he would finally, for </span>
  <em>
    <span>once, </span>
  </em>
  <span>win one of his and Lupin’s little games. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hand, soft and slow and so very warm and </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>tacky from the heat of the summer night drifted to rest upon his thigh, pushing against it so that the owner could lean forward, as the Pocky was much, much shorter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once again, it was the inspector who pulled away, breath quick and unsteady, shaking at every inhale and exhale, chest heaving up and down as he felt the way his heart pounded against it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You!” He pointed an accusatory finger at the thief, who, for the second time in a row finished off the Pocky-- though, admittedly, there was barely any left, which meant their game had been quite close. “Hand!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about it?” Lupin asked, the appendage in question still resting comfortably against Zenigata’s thigh. Although, despite the thief’s lecherous nature and a rather popular reputation of being flirtatious to no end, Zenigata knew that the contact was completely innocent, and actually usually wouldn’t mind something so simple such as a hand on his leg. In fact, similar to his observation about their seating arrangement earlier, he realized that the pair had been in this situation before, as they were almost always this casually intimate when they worked together on heists. However, this time around, it just felt different, felt as though there was much more meaning behind it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t prepared for you to touch me, y’know! That’s gotta be cheating,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t like I was trying anything,” Lupin snorted, which was something that  Zenigata already knew, but still couldn’t help but scold the thief for playing dirty as he reached back to pull out another stick of Pocky. “I just needed leverage, and you were the closest thing to me. Next time I won’t touch you if that makes it any easier,” he said, casually patting Zenigata’s leg in a rather friendly manner. “unless, of course,” he added with a smirk, palm still lingering. “you want me to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll kick you again, I swear to God,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So cruel! You ready to lose again?” Lupin teased, grinning that classic Cheshire grin of his, scooting closer and closer until he was right in front of Zenigata, whose legs kept shifting uncomfortably at the movement, nerves spiking when he realized he was able to see the small, white scar that rested delicately on the bridge of Lupin’s nose and the few pockmarks left by old acne scars from his youth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, he thought that the thief was playing at something, trying intentionally to make his breath catch in the back of his throat and cause his eyelids to grow uncomfortably hot, but soon realized that there was no mischief in his eyes. He had simply moved closer, probably so that he wouldn’t have to lean on Zenigata to support himself as he had promised earlier. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can still give up and we can just share a box of Pocky, you know,” Lupin said, his voice much softer, much more relaxed than when he had first arrived. “It tastes good even without the obvious electricity between us, though I gotta admit, I much prefer it when you’re on the other end,” he winked, though this time around, it didn’t seem as… derogatory? Embarrassing? Mocking? It was just a wink, simple as that, no smirk or singular raised eyebrow or glint in a pair of eyes that clearly had a plan hatching behind them. It was just a regular, no games, no-nonsense, no big deal, really, wink, almost as though Lupin and Zenigata had been close and comfortable friends for years now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata found himself wishing that Lupin was still teasing him. This was much, much worse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swallowed hard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t lose this time, you know,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what they all say,” Lupin replied, shrugging calmly and placing the frosted end of the Pocky between his lips, though he didn’t lean in any further. “you sure you’re ready, Pops? It’d be pretty embarrassing to lose three times in a row,” he snorted, relaxing into the mattress, leaning onto the hand had once more found itself leaning against the other side of Zenigata’s legs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t!” The inspector protested immediately, huffing in irritation or embarrassment or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>fairly similar to the two emotions. “I have a plan this time,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did, in fact, even though to his opponent it merely looked like another tactic to stall the actual game. Which was partially what it was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, it’s foolproof,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Care to tell me what it is, genius?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>only </span>
  </em>
  <span>another tactic to stall the actual game. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Why should I tell you? You’ll just mess me up, I know you,” Zenigata turned away, sticking his nose up and eyeing Lupin up and down to </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>sell the idea that he was, in fact, thinking of some sort of quick way to win despite his completely empty head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, of course, of course,” Lupin smiled, though it seemed like he had tried and failed to bite it down, seemed like it wasn’t exactly a smile meant for the inspector to see, though he couldn’t possibly think of a reason as to </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>he wasn’t supposed to see it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swallowed thickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, then?” Lupin hummed softly. “What’re you waiting for, Pops?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Zenigata supposed he wasn’t waiting for anything except maybe an opportunity to toss himself out of the open window, so, preemptively closing his eyes, he pushed himself forward and away from the safety of the wall, taking a bite of the candy, damn near holding his breath in anticipation for Lupin’s next move. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin finally moved forward, seeming to take his sweet, sweet, time, though perhaps it was merely the heaviness of the air that slowed everything down just a little bit more than usual. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire experience was akin to torture-- real, actual torture-- and Zenigata could just </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>the way his guts were twisting nervously in his stomach, heart fluttering in the most annoying fashion possible, cheeks flushed cherry bright. He hoped that Lupin had also closed his eyes, for if he were to be seen like this, messy and flustered and far, far too warm, there was sure to be plenty of hell to pay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he moved closer, he tried to think of anything else but his current situation, tried to focus on the possibility that maybe, just maybe, being able to recover whatever obviously valuable thing Lupin had taken would earn him the smallest amount of respect from… from </span>
  <em>
    <span>somebody. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Obviously, he couldn’t explain how exactly he did it, but it would still count as something, wouldn’t it? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin moved closer, though he hadn’t leaned any further into the inspector. Instead, he let Zenigata do the work this time around, simply sitting still while his component drew himself nearer, having to adjust his legs so that they were no longer sitting straight out on the mattress. Instead, he had half-folded them, having to lazily rest them against Lupin’s side, which meant, with the thief’s hand still across Zenigata, they were practically intertwined. Or, at least in Zenigata’s mind they were. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling the heat of Lupin’s breath on his lips, the inspector’s throat tightened though he didn’t try to pull away when the man sitting oh so near to him moved ever closer, allowing his weight to rest on Zenigata’s half-drawn legs, which wouldn’t usually be a problem except for the fact that the intimacy of the moment was beginning to get far, far too real. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So real, in fact, that it had Zenigata contemplating… something. Something that he didn’t want to think too hard about, and yet that something seemed to force itself into his mind anyway. Something that he had certainly not thought of just now, something that had built up over time, years and years worth of fear and denial and probably some sort of repression keeping it at bay. Something that terrified him down to his very core, that shook his bones and made his stomach flip and his neck grow hot with shame or embarrassment or maybe something different, maybe something that felt good in the long run but absolutely awful in the moment, maybe that very same something Zenigata had been unable to stop thinking about for the past fifteen minutes as outside, an ocean-scented breeze ruffled the clinging ivy on the walls, and the band continued to swing and croon and remind Zenigata that it was such a lovely evening, that the moon was so sweet, that the air was so romantic, hanging lights that kept a dim glow in his hotel room so hypnotizing as they painted the world soft, edges rounding out and smoothing over, making everything seem like so much more than it really was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the third time in a row, Zenigata lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He removed his legs hastily from underneath Lupin’s innocent arm, swinging them over to the side so that he could scooch to the edge of the mattress, eyes wild as he hoped with every fiber of his being that the temperature in the room would magically drop so that he didn’t feel so feverish. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s three for me, zero for you,” Lupin teased, though made no move whatsoever to follow Zenigata. “how’d I cheat this time?” He asked, though there was no bite behind his tone, which instead held nothing but the playfully affectionate teasing you would share with your closest friends during your quietest moments. Zenigata wished it had been the former. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still haven’t lost, though,” he snapped back, hoping to rid himself of some of the pigment from his cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still haven’t lost, though,” Lupin echoed, and from behind him, Zenigata heard the creaking of a mattress and a soft, barely audible sigh as the man lay back on the bed, bones popping. “I have a feeling you will, though,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you say that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you seen yourself? You know, I never really thought red was your color, but after seeing it on your face so much tonight I’ve gotta say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>chéri, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it’s flattering on you,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop calling me that, I ain’t your honey,” Zenigata grunted quietly, ignoring the comment completely and not entirely sure if his bothersome little intruder would even hear him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you know what it means! Very good! How’s about a few more, yeah? What’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>cher?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata rolled his eyes. Oh, he had heard him alright. “Dear,” he responded easily, and as annoyed as he was to be used as a translator for a man who was fluent in both languages being spoken, he was grateful that there was no more talk of their little game, as he needed a bit of time recover from the last three failures, embarrassed and flustered and God knows what else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, good. Now, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mon beau?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“My beautiful one,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about </span>
  <em>
    <span>mon coeur?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“My heart,” Zenigata rolled his eyes, far too tired and hot and anxious to fight anything that came from the slippery eel’s silver tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ange?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lupin continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Angel,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, dove?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin!” Zenigata hissed, whipping around to face the man in question, who was lying lazily on his back, arms outstretched on either side of him, legs folded up and rocking languidly from side to side, eyes bright and warm and surprisingly inviting as he stared with a tilted head from the bedsheets. “You’re a terrible person, you know that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What! I just wanted to see whether or not you knew French,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, you weasel, you’re completely insufferable. Do you plan on being this way the whole time?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’ then, asshole,” Zenigata grumbled, sighing and moving closer on the bed, furrowing his brow, making sure that he wasn’t making any sort of eye contact with the thief whose tie had grown quite loose since he first arrived, the first three buttons of his shirt popped carelessly to let the air in, jacket long since discarded and tossed carelessly on the back of the little work chair behind the writing desk (Zenigata hadn’t even seen-- let alone noticed-- that he had removed his classic red jacket, and didn’t know for certain whether it had been a mere few moments ago or from the very moment he stepped onto the hardwood floor of the inspector’s hotel room). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to go again?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say it like that, you’re making it weird,” Zenigata frowned, settling next to the thief, and drawing his legs close to his chest, significantly calmer than he had been earlier. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like it’s already been made weird, but not by me,” Lupin responded simply, passing Zenigata a stick of Pocky which he took cautiously before realizing that they had stopped the game, Lupin taking one for himself, munching on it absently. “what’re you getting so worked up for?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna ask me </span>
  <em>
    <span>that? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Is the answer not obvious?” Zenigata sniffed, arching his eyebrow in a quizzical manner and shooting the thief a dirty look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>guess </span>
  </em>
  <span>it makes sense, but it’s really not that big a deal,” Lupin rolled his eyes, already finished with the candy in his hand before Zenigata even started. The music outside was still vibrant and exciting as ever, and a wave of laughter passed through the crowd. There was one laugh in particular that stood out amongst the rest, loud and joyous and quite contagious. From afar, if he concentrated very hard, the inspector could just </span>
  <em>
    <span>barely </span>
  </em>
  <span>hear the lapping of waves on the shore. “why’s it matter so much to you?” Lupin asked that last question with an… unfamiliar anxiousness creeping into his voice, which was kept soft, careful, quiet, glancing at the inspector who couldn’t help but stare at the man before him. Their gazes locked. Zenigata looked away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He contemplated Lupin’s question for a moment-- why </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>he so jittery? Was it just because he wasn’t used to this sort of close contact? Was it because he knew that the only way he’d win is if he just sucked it up and kissed him? Was kissing him </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>that bad? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obviously not, Zenigata thought, nibbling at the end of the Pocky Lupin had given him. Plenty of people, and most certainly not just women, had kissed him before and seemed to enjoy it quite a lot. And besides, it wasn’t like it meant anything, wasn’t like there were any strings attached, wasn’t like kissing Lupin meant admitting something that Zenigata had pushed away for years now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, really, in the long run, it wasn’t a big deal. Zenigata turned to look at the thief, who was now staring at the ceiling, expression unreadable but not in a negative way. He simply looked content, taking in the warmth of the evening. Admittedly, with the way the dull glow from the hanging lights outside caressed his features, softening them so sweetly, he almost looked beautiful. Almost looked like somebody Zenigata would’ve fallen for, almost looked liked somebody Zenigata </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>fallen for. But that was just the light, and really, at the end of the day, this was Lupin, and he was unobtainable in every way possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warmth of the summer clung to the inspector’s skin, though it was no longer stifling and uncomfortable as it had been earlier. Instead, as he sat in silence with Lupin, who had started to bump his shoulder so gently with his restless legs, it brought forth a sense of coziness and safety. It was almost as though they had been friends for a very long while, and this long night was beginning to feel less like torture and more like the inspector was simply spending time with somebody he trusted and somebody who trusted him. If he was being really bold, he would even say that they cared for one another, especially since Lupin was willing to offer so much in exchange for a simple game just to cut him some slack from work, but he was not bold and he was nervous that if he admitted something as benign as care, the breeze blowing in from the ocean would graze the shell of his ear and whisper that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> than that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I just have to meet you in the middle, right?” He asked, “Then you’ll tell me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or get me to chicken out, yes, but I really doubt you’ll be able to do that. But yeah, I’ll tell you,” Lupin grinned languidly, reaching to the side to pull forth one of the last four sticks of Pocky, placing the frosted side between his teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As his eyes fluttered closed, clearly more out of laziness or contentment than anything else, he made no move to sit up. As a matter of fact, he didn’t even move at all, flopping his arms back to the side of him, legs still rocking to and fro. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata moved forward, mattress creaking beneath his weight. His heart, though it was still beating fast and hard and painful, no longer felt achy. At least not in a bad way, that is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lay it on me, Romeo,” he said, Pocky bobbing with his words as the inspector, who was now sitting to the side of his chest, reaching over the thief’s waist to steady himself and lean against the mattress, looked at him head-on, eyes flicking from Lupin’s cheeks to his ears to his closed eyes to his nose to his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s all he had to do to win? Meet in the middle? Refuse to flinch and back out as he had earlier?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alright, okay. Easy enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With his free hand, he reached forward as he leaned in, thumb and forefinger gently grasping the Pocky in Lupin’s mouth and carefully pulled it from his lips, feeling surprisingly sober even though he swore to God the rush of blood in his ears was louder than the music outside, which now seemed so much more muffled, so much more distant, so much more quiet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin’s eyes fluttered open, surprise etched across his face as he opened his mouth to speak, a soft peachy red blooming across the apples of his cheeks and bridge of his nose when his gaze locked with Zenigata’s. A question bubbled up in his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he was able to ask it, though, before he was able to say a single word, make a single noise, Zenigata pressed his lips against Lupin’s, leaning over him, eyes closing as he felt the thief panic beneath him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This kiss didn’t last long and was most certainly not reciprocated, but that wasn’t the point, Zenigata thought as he drew back. He had finally won, and the look on Lupin’s face was a bonus reward in addition to the location and rights to return whatever it was that had been stolen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, while he was sitting back up, feeling just a tad dizzy from such a bold move, he felt hands, sticky with humidity and hot from the summer air, cup his face delicately but with enough force to pull him back down, being brought in for another kiss, one that Lupin was just a little bit more conscious for. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every bone, muscle, and tendon in his body screamed at him to pull back, to push Lupin away and tell him that he hadn’t meant anything by what he just did, to run away and pretend that the night had never happened at all. He was terrified, scared stiff, eyes blown wide as Lupin pressed into him harder, almost desperate to get a reaction, for his kiss to be returned, for his assumptions about Zenigata to be correct. There was a question on those hungry lips and it was far too delicate to speak aloud. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so, allowing himself to melt into the embrace, mind growing fuzzy and warm and blank, Zenigata answered this question, leaning closer, left hand finding a place to rest right on the thief’s jaw. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t as desperate or lustful or heated as the inspector thought kissing Lupin would be. There was no clash of teeth or race to undress or hands tugging hard at hair and pressing forcefully into skin. No, it was just a kiss, simple as that. No fireworks went off, no electricity jolted through Zenigata’s spine, there was no push and pull of two people who were ravenous for one another. It was just a kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it ended soon after it began, for Zenigata needed to breathe, and needed to have a few questions of his own answered, and needed to see the expression on Lupin’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His lips felt tingly, eyes wide when they had opened once more, and he was sure that his cheeks were brighter and hotter than the sun as he looked down at the thief, whose hands were still resting on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin…” he breathed, making no move to distance himself further from the other man. “...what the fuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You kissed me first, didn’t you? And I wasn’t prepared! Had to get you back somehow, didn’t I?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>guess, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but that… really wasn’t the point. I just wanted to win,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and I just wanted to kiss you,” Lupin said, but quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, as though he hadn’t actually meant to say what he did. Zenigata blinked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin, I’m literally right next to you, there is no space between us, I heard that loud and clear,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well ignore it! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>want to kiss you. That was awful, you’re a terrible kisser,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s beside the point, I--” Zenigata began, but stopped himself short, frowning lightly at the previous statement, feeling himself begin to grow more and more embarrassed by the minute. “am I really that bad of a kisser?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin shook his head. “No, that was very obviously a lie. Why do you think I pulled you back down?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” he said, looking bashfully away. Lupin’s hand was no longer covering his mouth, instead smiling sweetly, softly. “well I, um-- wait! Wait no! No, we’re getting off-topic again, Lupin. What did you mean when you said that? Was it like-- was it like you just wanted to kiss me as in you just wanted to see if I would actually go through with it, or you just wanted to kiss me as in you</span>
  <em>
    <span> just wanted to kiss me?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why should I tell you!” Lupin snapped in reply, turning his head away, almost as though he was trying to hide his quickly reddening face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you kissed me!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, you kissed me first,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s! That’s…” Zenigata choked, not entirely sure how to feel or what to do or whether or not he should just kiss Lupin again. You know, for good measure’s sake. “...that’s neither here nor there,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>here! It’s literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>right here! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hovering above me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, whatever! Whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore, because I won-- you can’t say that I didn’t, I fit your criteria, I met you in the middle-- and now you have to fulfill your half of the deal,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Lupin’s eyes clouded over with confusion, almost as though he had forgotten about their arrangement, and his brow furrowed as he stared up at the inspector with slightly parted lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crickets outside chirped and the band changed tones, shifting from fun and loud and energetic to slow, sweet, romantic, and neither of them said a thing, simply gazing at one another, both of them waiting for an answer to Zenigata’s request.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> It took a few moments but slowly, slowly, Lupin began to recall the conversation they had had earlier, the one about the game and where whatever the thief took was hidden, his eyes widening as he realized what he had promised. Zenigata wondered if he would back out now that he had lost, now that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>had to follow through. He made sure to keep one arm on the other side of him just in case that happened, almost pinning him without touching him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m… supposed to tell you where I hid what I took, right?” He asked slowly, and the inspector caught the small hint of anxiety creeping into his voice as he turned away, cheeks reddening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm-hmm,” Zenigata said, feeling all too triumphant where he sat, deeply enjoying the view having finally made Lupin nervous and flustered. He was probably stalling by now, judging from the way he worried at his soft lower lip, eyebrows furrowing, gaze never staying in one place. “Well?” Zenigata asked, feeling a shit-eating smirk paint itself on his face, and he swore if he was sitting up straighter his chest would be puffed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This, however, was fine too, what with how Lupin nad nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, for if he tried to move, all the inspector had to do was flop down on top of him-- and as crafty as he was, he was also thinner than a string bean, and despite his strength, he wouldn’t be able to wriggle himself out from under Zenigata, who could very possibly be twice his size with a considerable height advantage. Right now for the first time in ages, all of the cards were stacked in the inspector’s favor, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn </span>
  </em>
  <span>did it feel good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, Lupin, it’s embarrassing if you don’t follow through with your deals. Not very appealing, not very good for your reputation,” Zenigata continued, no longer the canary of the night, his claws quite close to digging into Lupin’s feathers, as he was so very close to getting the information he needed.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, but you won’t… you won’t like it much,” Lupin chuckled, more sheepish than Zenigata had ever seen him before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure I will,” he replied, huffing in triumph. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha… um… you won’t. You might actually kick me again, I’ll be honest,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, you’re not </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>gonna chicken out of this, are you?” The inspector snorted, leaning closer, though he preferred to think of it as looming menacingly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, I’m not chickening out. I’m just… well, uh--” Lupin swallowed hard. “--well, you see, Pops… er, Zenigata, that is,” he blinked, finally catching the inspector’s gaze, who had to admit that he was a little taken aback with the use of his name in such an odd situation. It wasn’t as though Lupin hadn’t ever said it before, but never in his entire career had he ever heard the thief </span>
  <em>
    <span>correct </span>
  </em>
  <span>himself from saying Pops to Zenigata. It was weirdly formal, and the inspector felt his confidence drop just a little. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you were-- um, okay. Alright. Yeah, okay. I’ll just… start at the beginning,” Lupin murmured, and before Zenigata could ask what he meant, he continued. “well, I just. I heard that you had been having a rough time recently, right? And you can’t deny me,” he said as the inspector opened his mouth to discredit that statement, never one to take pity. “you have. I know how hard your boss has been on you. So, I lured you down to Cagliostro, because it’s beautiful in the summer and the beach is very nice and they have some great Italian restaurants-- was it you who talked about liking Italian, or was that Fujiko?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was Fujiko, but you’re right, Italian food is good,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re more traditional, but I do remember disguising myself as a woman and taking you out for dinner that one time.  Don’t look at me like that, you hadn’t eaten a proper meal in days!” Lupin exclaimed when Zenigata’s expression immediately lost all cockiness that he had gained beforehand, and instead dropping to something very similar to panic. Was it dread, perhaps? “And it isn’t like I made a move on you, it was a strictly business outing, remember?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember, yeah, but I just… can’t believe… that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>you,” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looked great, didn’t I? Yeah, I’m a big fan of that alias, I think I’m very pretty with lipstick,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata almost agreed before he remembered what the thief was there for in the first place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going off track, you moron. Tell me, where did you hide the things you took?” His tone was quite strict and no-nonsense, face hardening as he tried to radiate as much authority as possible, which seemed to work, Lupin shrinking bashfully beneath him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah. Okay um-- well. To tell you the truth, I didn’t take anything,” Lupin blurted, as though he were trying to rip a bandaid off. However, all he had managed to do was stick another bandaid on in the exact same place. Zenigata blinked, confusion clouding his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean you didn’t take anything?” He asked, almost positive that this was just another one of the thief’s dirty tricks. Almost. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I lured you down here to try and get you a vacation, except it didn’t quite go as planned,” Lupin was speaking freely now, as though he had gotten sick and was puking words right up from his nervous lips. “see, I thought even </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>would have the urge to relax just a little bit, I mean, this place is positively gorgeous, how could you not? But I guess I should have known better. You never take a day off,” Lupin chuckled nervously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m… okay, well, if I was confused earlier, you’ve completely lost me now,” Zenigata frowned, sitting back, no longer hovering over Lupin, who seemed extremely grateful to rid himself of the little cage he had been trapped in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so dense, you know that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you’re a real prick. If you wanted me to have a vacation, why didn’t you just… stop doing things for a little?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because then you would’ve looked for me and stressed yourself out even </span>
  <em>
    <span>more,” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t have looked for--” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lupin frowned, sitting up on his elbows, a serious expression crossing his face. “you would have. I know you. And I know you would have looked.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata shut up, unable to provide any sort of argument for this because Lupin was right, as ashamed as he was to admit it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which I guess feeds into this next bit, which um. Well, I guess. I guess I’ll just say it because otherwise, we’ll be here all night,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got all night if you want,” Zenigata said, though his tone was a little gentler, a little sweeter than he had intended, gaze just a little softer than he had expected. He was growing more and more concerned for the thief, not used to this shy behavior, wondering just what he possibly had to say that made him so nervous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin swallowed hard, looking away quickly. “Please, God, do not look at me like that. You’ll hurt me, you really will,” he mumbled, before drawing in a deep, deep breath, exhaling through his nose, and closing his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zenigata stared at him, not entirely sure what was supposed to happen or what was supposed to be said, so he thought he might fill the silence. He opened his mouth, prepared to ask what the hell was going on when suddenly, without warning, Lupin whipped back around, an expression that Zenigata didn’t recognize painted across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I said earlier that I just wanted to kiss you, I really meant it. I know it’s selfish and honestly a little fucked up to trick you like that, but I truly did… just want to kiss you. There was no treasure to be stolen, no heist to be pulled, no tricks up my sleeve, and originally, I hadn’t even considered this. Originally, I just wanted to give you a break from your boss, I never intended for this to happen. Until, of course, I-- well. Until I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But can you blame me?” He asked, frowning, cheeks heating up more and more as he spoke, sitting up fully, hands behind him to support his weight. “When I look at you and I don’t know what I feel but I know I like it and I know I want it to stay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>can you blame me?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin fell silent, breathing hard, anxiety plainly etched across his face as he waited for a response from a very stricken Zenigata. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What the hell was he supposed to say to </span>
  <em>
    <span>that? </span>
  </em>
  <span>How the hell was he supposed to reply to the man he had been tripping himself over when that very man just confessed some sort of strange, confusing feelings? Was he supposed to thank him? Shake his hand? Give a polite little nod? Fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>what? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of grappling for an answer, knowing that anything he said would sound unbelievably idiotic now that his face was flushed bright red and his tongue was swollen in his mouth and his eyelids felt so very hot, he just said the first thing that popped into his racing mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, why didn’t you just kiss me then?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, Lupin gave him an incredulous look, as though the inspector had said something completely uncalled for, as though he had spoken some unknown language. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the hell would I do that? You’d probably punch me if I tried to,” he responded, and it was a little comforting to know that he was just as flustered as the inspector. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I punch you!” Zenigata exclaimed more than asked, throwing his hands up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I honestly can’t read you! At all! And half the time I think you also want to kiss me and the other half I think you want my brains smeared across a wall!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course </span>
  </em>
  <span>I want to kiss you, you ass!” Zenigata groaned, putting his hands in his head, as he did so, suddenly very tired and very relieved and very sick all at the same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Lupin didn’t respond, he lifted his head and was met with wide eyes and flushed cheeks and lips that clearly didn’t know what to say. Lupin looked absolutely dumbfounded, completely and utterly starstruck, breath unsteady, hands unsteady, mouth unsteady. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Lupin?” He asked softly, furrowing his brow with concern when the thief still failed to talk. “Are you alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just didn’t think you’d respond that way,” he admitted, awkwardly twiddling his thumbs, looking away with an uncharacteristically bashful expression. “I was expecting you to get the way that you do, all shy and flustered, you know, and I would be my usual confident self. Then, I would just… leave, or something,” he frowned, pausing for a moment before continuing. “but I didn’t think you felt the same way,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can go if you want to, you know,” Zenigata assured him, though he wasn’t entirely sure why he had said </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>in particular. Maybe, for once, he didn’t want to trap the thief. “you know, if you’re uncomfortable you can. And we can forget this ever happened. I’ll pretend we didn’t even see each other. I’ll tell the commissioner you weren’t even here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, Lupin blinked owlishly, staring in shock at the man before him, seeming as though he was going to say something but having to ponder it for a moment or two.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to go?” He asked at last, though it was a little quieter than his usual tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Zenigata admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good. I don’t want to go either. I just…” he coughed awkwardly into his fist, turning his head away for a moment before he was finally able to meet Zenigata’s gaze again. “I just needed a moment to process everything. You know, we just admitted how we felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>fast and as magnificently intelligent as I am, I don’t think I was able to follow everything immediately,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still haven’t processed anything yet, you’ll have to give me a few days,” Zenigata smiled, really and genuinely, relieved when the thief’s body language relaxed and he flopped back down onto the bed with a huff. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin gave a low whistle, finally back to normal, cheeks losing some of their color. “A few days, hm? Are you propositioning me? Sure, I’ll stay with you for a few days before you have to haul ass and go back home. Maybe you can finally enjoy Cagliostro the way you were supposed to,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What!” Zenigata choked, and he could feel the way heat rushed to pool in his cheeks, eyes widening. “No, that’s not-- I mean, it’s fine if you do, but I wasn’t asking you or anything, I was just making a joke, you know, that I have… I’m just... I…” he trailed off, unable to explain himself. What </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>he been joking at? Did he really accidentally ask the thief to spend the rest of the week in Cagliostro with him and not realize it? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s my Zenigata!” Lupin crowed, grinning and reaching out to tug at the fabric of the inspector’s tee-shirt playfully, affectionately. “Back to normal. I was beginning to feel sick with how vulnerable I had been, you know,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about,” Zenigata grumbled, but it wasn’t as though he minded. Truth be told, he was almost dizzy with joy, butterflies exploding in his stomach, not entirely sure what to do or say now that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>had been captured by </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lupin. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was strange how, just as he feared, he had fallen for another one of the thief’s tricks, but not the one he had expected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next time we kiss, I won’t be a mess, I promise,” Lupin smiled, and once again, he tugged at the inspector’s shirt, but it was more to invite him to come just a little closer than to tease him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who says there’ll be a next time?” Zenigata asked, arching his eyebrow, though he complied, scooting closer to Lupin before lying down next to him, letting their shoulders press together comfortably, still not… entirely sure what was happening. It was all very hazy, all very muted and muddled, mixing in with the hot nighttime air and the music from the band outside, trumpets crooning so lovingly into the breeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very cold, inspector. I thought you liked me,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you open </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>can of worms directly after opening the first one, then I can assure you I won’t,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s fair enough,” Lupin hummed, shifting so that he was resting his head on his hand, elbow pressed into the mattress, looking affectionately over Zenigata’s face. “so I guess you’re not willing to kiss me anymore, fine, that’s fair. Can I use this as a loophole?” The thief teased, reaching over the inspector to pick up the box of strawberry Pocky, rattling the remaining few around in the box. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a real ass, you know that?” Zenigata sighed, turning to face Lupin. Had their faces always been so close? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, yes, I’m aware,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So are you like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>gonna stay with me, or are you gonna fuck off the minute I close my eyes to sleep?” Zenigata asked, his question forcing Lupin to stop inching closer if he wanted to answer, a measly couple of centimeters away from the inspector’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I’m staying, I wanted to go to the beach with you tomorrow,” he replied rather easily, and the smile that followed damn near melted Zenigata’s already softened heart. Once more, Lupin began to move closer, tilting his head to the side, bringing one hand up to rest against the inspector’s cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the beach? Isn’t it supposed to be way too hot tomorrow? I would know, I checked the forecast,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once again, Lupin was forced to stop his advances and answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it? That’s fine, we can just stay inside. Maybe get lunch at this cute little cafe I know near the castle, it’s a bit of a drive, but I brought the Fiat,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a better idea, yeah,” Zenigata nodded and watched as, once again, Lupin dipped further down to kiss him, their noses brushing together, breath mingling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When their lips grazed, the inspector spoke again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After lunch, do you think we should--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the love of </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, </span>
  </em>
  <span>shut up,” Lupin groaned, though the smile he wore contradicted his tone quite a bit. Zenigata laughed, comfort filling his chest as he reached up and looped his arms around Lupin’s neck, gaze tender, eyes closing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were many questions to ask and serious topics to be discussed concerning whatever Zenigata had fallen into. For now, though, he simply allowed himself to feel the moment in its entirety, nervousness and anxiety from before seeping out of his body, removed by the touch of Lupin’s humid-sticky palms and the way he laughed before, at last, he simply closed the distance, his lips warm as the summer breeze and sweet as the strawberry flavoring on the Pocky they had been eating moments before. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so sorry this took ages 2 write my brain has literally been everywhere but my head for........... months now 😔😔 also terribly sorry for any mistakes i edited this like a man who just clawed his way out of the grave 🙏🙏🙏</p></blockquote></div></div>
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